Automatic register-gage for platen-presses.



H. E. STAMFORD.

AUTOMATIC REGISTER GAGE FOB rum PRBSSES.

APPLIOATXON FILED FEB. 24, 1908.

909,249. Patented Jan 12,1909.

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UNITED STATES vHENRY E. STANIFURD, U1" SOUTH lOHl.

ir-i TENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC REGISTER-GAGE FOR PLATEN-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed February 24, 1908. Serial No. 411310.

Presses, of which the following is a specification.

vide an automatic registering age for platen printing presses whichshall e simple and inexpensive to produce and may be attached to thepress in such a manner as not to interfere in any way with its ordinaryuse.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel automaticgage, of which the following description in connec tion with theaccompanying drawing is a specification, reference characters being usedto indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the platen and ripper of a printingpress, detached, showlng the application thereto of my novel automaticregistering gage; Fig. 2 a plan view corresponding with Fig. 1; and Fig.3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 in Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the 'ar' rows.

10 denotes the platen of a printing press which is provided with arms 11(one only being shown), by means of which it is pivoted to the bed (notshown) of the press.

12 denotes the gripper shaft which is mounted to oscillate in arms 11,and 13 denotes one of the gripper arms carried by the gripper shaft.

It is of course well understood that in this class of presses, thesheets to be printed are placed upon the platen, the forward edges ofthe sheets engaging rest pins 14 and one of the side edges restingagainst a gage in placed. at one side of the platen. As t is work isdone very rapidly it has heretofore been very difiicult, especially inhigh grade and multiple impresslon printing, to register the sheetsaccurately and secure uniform results. This difficulty I wholly overcomeby the use of my novel automatic sliding gage, the movement of which issuflicient at each actuation of the press to insure accurate placing ofthe sheet to be printed.

15 denotes the age proper, which is a strip of metal havlng a shank 16at ri ht angles to the age. The shank lies an or the tympan s met, thatis, between the platen and the tympan sheet, which is indicated by 17,and the gage itself projects through an opening 18 cut in the tympansheet.

The gage is reciprocated at each actuation of the press by suitableconnections, a practical form of which I will now describe. in

t practice, any number of gages may be pro- Th1s invention has for itsQb ect to provided with shanks of difierent lengths, the operator usingthe length of shank best adapted to the size of the form or to the sizeof the sheets to be printed. The shank of the gage is detachably andadjust-ably secured to a holder 19 which is itself adjustable on thecenterpiece 20 of a double crank, the arms 21 of which are provided withlugs 22 which are mounted to oscillate in ears 23 upon an attachingplate 2a which is secured to the side of a platen in any suitablemannor, as by screws 25. The holder is made from sheet metal andcomprises a substan tially U-shaped body 26 which is sprun over thecenter-piece of the crank and is sel retaining in place but free toslide longitudinally on the center-piece, and a clamp con sisting of aplate 27 extending from the body and a clamping plate 28 preferablyformed integral with plate 27 which grips and securely locks the shankof the gage be tween itself and plate 27. In order to doubly insure theforward movement of the gage at each actuation of the press so as toinsure the accurate registration of each sheet, the shank of the ga emay be provided with a shoulder 29 w ich is engaged by the metal of theholder at the intersection of the clamping plate with plate 27.

30 denotes an operating arm which is shown as formed integral with thecrank which is bent to suitable shape and com prises a horizontalportion 31 which has a sliding engagement. with an arm 32 detachablysecured to the gripper shaft. This arm is shown as provided with a hub33 which slides on the ripper shaft and is locked in place after adustment by a set screw 34.

The operation is as follows: At each oscillation of the gripper shaft,arm 32 carried thereby is swung downward and then backward again. Theeffect of the downward movement of arm 32 is, by means of the operatinarm, to swing the crank and with it the ho der and gage forward so thatthe gage gil- 'move the sheet to be printed, and which ng against restpins 14, forward to the itermined position, each sheet being moved toexactly the same position, thus in surin perfect accuracy and rmiformityin printing the sheets. The return movement of the gripper shaft movesthe gage hackward again ready for the next sheet. In case it is requiredto change the position of the gage, it is simply necessary to cutanother hole in the tympan sheet. It will of course be understood thatgages having different lengths of shanks may be used and that a gage maybe adjusted transversely to the platen by simply sliding the holder onthe center-piece of the crank. The throw of the gage, that is the amountof its recipro ration. may be regulated by adjustment of arm 32 on thegripper shaft, which is engaged by the operating arm, thereby increasingor diminishing the throw of the crank. When it is not desired to use thegage, it is removed from the holder Without disturbing the other partsof the device, which have no effect whatever on the regular operation ofthe press.

Having thus described my claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a gage adapted toproject through a hole in a tympan sheet and having a shank which in uselies under the tympan sheet, a holder comprising a substantiallyU-shaped body and a. clamp for the gage shank and a crank having acenter -piece slidably engaged by the U-s'haped body of the holder.

2. A device of the character described conr prising a gage adapted toproject through a hole in a tympan sheet and having a shank which in uselies under the tyinpan sheet and is provided with a shoulder, a holderhaving a clamp to receive the shank and which is engaged by saidshoulder and a crank hav ing'a center-piece which is slidably engaged bythe holder.

A device of the character described comprising a gage adapted to projectthrough a hole in a tympan sheet and having a shank invention 1 which inuse lies under the tympan sheet, a holder having a clamp engaged by saidshank, a crank having a centerpiece on which the holder may slide andarms provided with lugs and an attaching plate having ears in which saidlugs are mounted to oscillate.

4. A device of the character described comprising a gage adapted toproject through a hole in a tympan sheet and having a shank which in uselies under the tympan sheet, a holder having a clamp which is engaged bysaid shank and a crank having a centerpiece on which the holder mayslide and an operating arm by which the crank is oscilla ted and thegage reciprocated.

5. In a press of the character described, the combination with a grippershaft having an adjustable arm extending therefrom and a tyn'ipan sheethaving a hole, of a gage projecting through the hole in the tympan sheetand having a shank lying under said sheet, a holder with which saidshank is engaged and a crank having a center-piece upon which the holdermay slide and an operating arm which slidably engages the arm on thegripper shaft.

6. In a press of the character described, the combination with a grippershaft having an arm extending therefrom and a tympan sheet having ahole, through the hole in the tympan sheet and having a shank lyingunder the tympan sheet. an attaching plate having ears, a crank mountedto oscillate in said ears and having an operating arm and a center-pieceand a holder which slidably engages said center-piece and is providedwith a clamp which receives the shank of the gage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY E. STAN IFORD. Witnesses A. M. WoosTER, S. WV. ATHERTON.

